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Your landlord's insurance stops at the building. Everything on your side of the front door — furniture, electronics, clothes, and your liability if someone gets hurt — is on you. A renters policy covers all of it, usually for one of the lowest premiums in insurance.

Florida-licensed since 2011

Who this is for

  • First apartmentFirst policy? We walk you through it.
  • High-rise tenantBrickell to the Beach — buildings here ask for proof.
  • Family renting a houseMore stuff to protect, same easy policy.
  • New to MiamiCoverage in place before you get the keys.

What's typically covered

  • Personal property — fire, theft, hurricane wind
  • Personal liability, including dog bites
  • Loss of use — somewhere to stay after a covered loss
  • Medical payments for minor guest injuries

Florida rules to know

  • The lease requires it, not the stateNo Florida statute mandates renters insurance — your lease usually does.
  • Hurricane deductible may applyWind damage to belongings is covered, often behind a separate hurricane deductible.
  • Flood is never includedSeparate NFIP or private contents policy — usually with a 30-day wait.

No Florida statute requires renters insurance — but Miami landlords and property managers routinely do, written into the lease with a certificate due before you get keys. What the lease can't change: the landlord's policy covers the building only, never your belongings. Florida's landlord-tenant law itself notes that renters policies don't cover flood — for that you need a separate contents flood policy through the NFIP (up to $100,000, generally with a 30-day waiting period) or a private flood carrier, worth pricing in a county that sits near sea level between the Atlantic and the Everglades; Miami-Dade County recommends flood coverage for renters, not just owners. Hurricane wind damage to your belongings is covered, and like other Florida residential policies a renters policy typically carries a separate hurricane deductible — often $500, or a percentage of your personal-property limit.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, limits, and thresholds change over time — confirm current requirements with the relevant state or federal agency, or ask us about your specific situation.

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Renters Insurance

What this coverage includes

A renters (HO-4) policy covers your personal property against named perils — fire and smoke, theft at home and away from home, vandalism, and windstorm including hurricane wind — plus personal liability when someone is hurt and you're responsible, medical payments to others (typically $1,000–$5,000), and loss of use, which pays the extra cost of a hotel and meals if a covered loss makes your unit unlivable. Your belongings are covered almost anywhere in the world, so a laptop stolen from your car is typically covered too, subject to your deductible and the policy's special limits.

Just as important is what it doesn't cover. The building itself is your landlord's policy, never yours. Flood is excluded — that's a separate contents policy through the NFIP or a private flood carrier. An unrelated roommate's belongings aren't covered unless they're named on the policy. And standard policies settle at actual cash value (replacement cost minus depreciation) unless you add the replacement-cost endorsement, with special limits on categories like jewelry and electronics unless you schedule them. We walk through every one of these before you bind, not after a claim.

Coverage examples

  • Kitchen fire two floors up

    A neighbor's stovetop fire sends smoke and sprinkler water through your unit. The building repairs are the landlord's claim — your ruined sofa, clothes, and electronics are yours, and they're covered. While the unit is dried out and repainted, loss-of-use coverage pays the hotel and the extra cost of meals above what you'd normally spend. Loss-of-use limits vary meaningfully by carrier, so we show you that number before you need it.

  • Break-in while you're at work

    The door gets forced and the TV, laptop, and watch walk away. Theft is a covered peril at home and away from home — the same policy responds when a bag is stolen from your car in a parking garage, subject to your deductible and the special limits on categories like electronics and jewelry. A ten-minute photo inventory of your stuff, updated once a year, makes any theft claim dramatically smoother.

  • Your dog bites someone at the park

    Florida law (Statute 767.04) holds dog owners strictly liable for bites — no prior incident required. The personal liability coverage on a renters policy typically defends you and pays up to your limit — worth weighing when you choose that limit. The catch to know up front: some carriers restrict specific breeds, so tell us about the dog before the carrier is picked — not after a claim.

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Renters Insurance

Frequently asked questions

Doesn't my landlord's insurance cover me?
No — your landlord's policy covers the building and the landlord's own liability, never your belongings. If a fire guts the unit, the landlord rebuilds the walls; replacing everything that was inside them is on you. That's the entire job of a renters policy.
Is renters insurance required in Florida?
Not by law — no Florida statute makes tenants carry it. But leases commonly do, especially at managed buildings in Miami, and the certificate is usually due before move-in. Legally optional, contractually required is the everyday reality — and at renters-policy prices, it's rarely worth fighting.
Does it cover hurricane damage to my stuff?
Yes — windstorm and hurricane damage to your personal property is covered on a Florida renters policy. Expect a separate hurricane deductible, which carriers typically set at $500 or a percentage (2%, 5%, or 10%) of your personal-property limit; it applies only to hurricane losses, while everyday claims use your regular deductible. What hurricane coverage never includes is flood and storm surge — see the next question.
What about flood — am I covered if water comes in off the street?
Not by the renters policy — flood is excluded, and in Miami-Dade that gap matters even outside the high-risk zones; the county itself recommends flood insurance for renters. A contents-only policy through the federal NFIP covers your belongings up to $100,000, and private flood carriers offer alternatives. Plan ahead: NFIP policies generally take effect 30 days after purchase, so the week a storm is named is too late.
Where do I live if a fire makes my apartment unlivable?
That's loss-of-use coverage. After a covered loss it pays the increase in your living expenses — the hotel, the short-term rental, the extra cost of meals — so your household keeps its normal standard of living while the unit is repaired. The limit varies meaningfully from carrier to carrier, so ask us what your policy includes; it's one of the numbers we always walk through.
Does renters insurance cover my dog?
The personal liability coverage typically does — and in Florida that matters, because state law holds owners strictly liable for bites regardless of the dog's history. The caveat: some carriers exclude or restrict certain breeds, and a bite from an excluded breed leaves you personally exposed. Tell us the breed when we quote and we'll place you with a carrier that actually covers your dog.
Is my stuff covered outside the apartment — in my car, on a trip?
Generally yes. An HO-4 covers your personal property almost anywhere in the world, and theft away from home is a covered peril — a laptop stolen from your car or a bag taken while traveling is typically covered, subject to your deductible and the special limits on categories like electronics and jewelry. The main exception is property you keep permanently at another residence, which carries a much lower cap.
How much coverage do I need — and what's the replacement-cost upgrade?
Walk the apartment with your phone camera and ballpark what it would cost to re-buy everything; it's almost always more than people expect. Then decide how losses settle: standard policies pay actual cash value (replacement cost minus depreciation), while the replacement-cost endorsement pays what it actually costs to replace items new — usually worth the small premium difference. One more thing: an unrelated roommate isn't covered by your policy; they need their own, or to be named on yours.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, limits, and thresholds change over time — confirm current requirements with the relevant state or federal agency, or ask us about your specific situation.

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